GENOME SAVIOR AWARD

Farmers in Jharkhand working together with Gene Campaign on conserving the agro biodiversity of rice in field level Gene-Seed Banks were awarded the Genome Savior Award by the Government of India. Farm women and men came from their villages in Jharkhand, to Delhi, to receive the country’s highest conservation award in a glittering award ceremony attended by a number of dignitaries.

The Genome Savior Award has been set up by the Indian government to honor those farmers who have conserved the germplasm of crop plants. Jharkhand, along with Orissa and Chattisgarh constitutes that part of the eastern India tribal belt which is recognized globally to be the birthplace of rice. Gene Campaign started wok in this region some years ago , to collect characterize and scientifically conserve the traditional varieties of crop plants, chiefly rice, in field level Gene-Seed Banks that are managed by the community.